Dyeing apparatus



. Feb. 21, 1939. B. J. GOLDSMITH DYEING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1936 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR I -BR7'R/7M u. G m Wm BY n ATTORNEY Feb. 21,1939. 5 J GQLDSf flTH 2,148,069

DYEING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12/1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BERTRHM u. OLO6M/7-H ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,148,069 DYEING APPARATUS Bertram J. Goldsmith, New York, N. Y. Application October 12, 1936, Serial No. 105,206 9 Claims. (01. 68165) The present invention relates to dyeing apparatus, and more particularly, to apparatus for dyeing yarns and narrow fabrics, such as ribbons, bindings, tapes, etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a dyeing machine of the reciprocating type with means for moving the rack, which carries the material to be dyed, in such manner as to obtain a more thorough penetration of the material by the dye liquid. This is accomplished in accord ance with the present invention by causing the rack to move rapidly in opposite directions with an appreciable dwell of the rack at the end of each stroke, that is, between the end of the movement of the rack in one direction and the start of the movement of the rack in the opposite direction. This movement of the rack causes the material, which is mounted on pairs of dyeing sticks or pins, carried by the rack, to move away from the trailing stick or pin more effectively than when the rack is reciprocated uni formly and on this account, as well as because of the dwell of the rack at each end of the stroke, a more thorough penetration of the material by the dye liquid can be obtained with fewer reciprocations of the rack. The rapid motion of the rack produces an appreciably increased head of the dyeing liquid and the head thus produced prolongs the flow of the dye liquid through the material during the dwell period of the rack. Thus a greater penetration of the material by the dye liquid is accomplished with fewer strokes of the rack per minute and with fewer total strokes of the rack for completing the dyeing of the material. The decrease in the number of reciprocations of the rack is an important result of the present invention as chafing of the material is substantially reduced, if not entirely eliminated. A further advantage of moving the rack in the manner described, more particularly in 40 such manner that there is an appreciable dwell at the end o-feach stroke results from the fact that the dwell serves to dampen surging of the dye liquid and thereby prevents the latter from spilling over the top of the dyeing tub or tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the dyeing rack with means for holding vertically spaced dyeing sticks or pins in laterally offset relation whereby toavoidcrowding or compressing of the material at the portions thereof engaged on the pins. In this manner the penetration of the material by the dye liquid is improved, and at the same time, chafing of the material which might otherwise occur is prevented or substantially reduced.

A further object of the present invention is the embodiment of the above described rackmoving means in dyeing apparatus embodying the invention disclosed in my application, Serial No. 23,318 filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on May 25, 1935, now Patent Number 2,057,423,

patented application is a; continuation-impart, in which dyeing apparatus the operation is such that the October 13, 1936, of which the instant movement of the rack in the tub exerts a pumping action on the dye liquid and forces the latter to flow under pressure substantially entirely through the rack between the sides of the latter and above the bottom thereof, thus forcing the dyeing liquid under pressure through the material on the rack.

The above and other objects of the invention will be m ing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming apart of the ore clearlyunderstood from the follow present specification.

In the Fig. 1-1

drawings: s a side View in elevation showing more or less diagrammatically the apparatus constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention; I v

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the apparatus shown in Fig; 1, part of the means for moving the rack being omitted;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, of

the rack;

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation, on a larger scale, of the means for moving the rack;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views on the lines 6- -5 and Fig. 8

'l--'l, respectively, of Fig. 3; is a detail sectional view of a bottom corner portion of the rack;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one form of dyeing stick Fig. 10

or pin;

illustrates how the trailing end of the skein of material moves away from or floats free of the trailing stick in one direction of movement of the rack; and

Fig, 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, illustrating the position of the skein in the movement of the rack in the opposite direction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the the apparatus is substantially filled with the dye liquid, say to the level, indicated by the line Said tank is separated into individual compartments by spaced partitions I4 extending cross wise of the tank. Vertical uprights l6 are disposed at the sides of the tank in spaced relation longitudinally thereof and carry at their upper ends flanged rollers l8 disposed slightly above the plane of the top of the bank. A pair of longitudinally extending bars 20 rest upon the rollers 18 between the flanges of the latter and are connected at their opposite ends by cross bars 22 for unitary movement. Racks 24, which will be described in detail, or which may be of the same construction as that shown and described in my above mentioned application, Serial No. 23,318, are supported on the bars 20 and are movable therewith longitudinally of the tank H3 in their respective compartments.

As indicated above, an important feature of the present invention resides in causing the dyeing rack to move rapidly in one direction, then to dwell appreciably at the end of its stroke, and then to move rapidly in the opposite direction and then to dwell appreciably at the end of that stroke, in completing one cycle of operation of the rack. The means 26, for accomplishing this purpose, is actuated, as here shown, by an electric motor 28 through a speed reduction gear or mechanism 30. The rack-moving means includes a rapid positive motion cam 32, as shown in Fig. 4. Said cam, which is here shown as a plate cam, comprises uniformly accelerating and retarding portions 34 and diametrically opposite circular or dwell portions 36 and 3B, the center of the rotation of the cam being indicated by the numeral 40. The cam followers here shown as flanged rollers 42 are mounted in positive-motion relation to the cam 32 on a bar 44 and are in constant engagement with the periphery of said cam. The bar 44 is mounted for reciprocation in bracket-bearings 46 carried by spaced uprights 48. The leading end 50 of the bar 44 is connected to the cross piece 22. Thus in the rotation of the cam the rack is reciprocated rapidly in one direction with uniformly accelerated and retarded motion, then when the circular portion of the cam engages one of the followers 42, motion of the rack is interrupted for an appreciable length of time, equal to 90 rotation of the cam; then the rack moved rapidly in the opposite direction with uniformly accelerated and retarded motion until the opposite circular portion of the cam is engaged by the roller, when movement of the rack in said opposite direction ceases and the rack remains stationary for another dwell period substantially equal to said first mentioned dwell period, i. e., while the cam rotates through an arc of 90.

The dyeing racks will now be described in further detail. Said racks may be of the construction shown and described in my above mentioned application, Serial No. 23,318, but modified as will presently appear, for accomplishing one of the objects of the present invention. As the racks are of the same construction, only one need be described in detail. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the racks are supported on the bars 20, each rack being reciprocated within a separate compartment of the tank. The racks extend closely adjacent the bottom of the tank and are of such width as to allow only a small clearance between the sides of the rack and the sides of the tank. The stroke of each rack is preferably such as to bring the rack near the partitions M at the ends of its compartment at the end of the stroke. The piston rod 52 of an air hoist mounted upon an overhead rail (not shown) is swivelled to the top 54 of the rack, said hoist being utilized for raising and lowering the rack and for transferring the latter to and from the tank.

.As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rack 24 is in the form of a rigid open frame, and is composed preferably of angle members made of non-corrosive metal. Angles B and 58 are welded together to form the sides and ends respectively of the rectangular base of the structure. One flange of these angles extends vertically and upwardly, and the other flange extends horizontally and inwardly, as best shown in the fragmentary sectional View of Fig. 8. The perforated plate 60, also of non-corrosive metal, forming a bottom for the rack, extends between and. is riveted to the horizontal flanges of the angles 56. The purpose of this plate is to prevent the skeins that are freely suspended on the rack, as will be hereinafter described, from contacting the bottom of the tank. Corner angles 62 project upwardly from the rectangular base of the structure. A pair of vertically extending plates 66 and 58 are secured to the inner face of the side flange of each corner angle 52 forming a pair of guide slots 70 and 12 in each corner angle 62. Said guide slots open to the upper end of the frame and constitute means for retaining and positioning the dye sticks or pins 14,

The upper ends of the corner angles 52 are connected by horizontally disposed angles 63 thereby rigidifying the frame of the rack and also furnishing means for connecting the top 54 thereto. For the latter purpose, screw-threaded studs 65 project upwardly from the angles 53 midway of their length and are arranged to extend through openings 6'! in said top for engagement by wing nuts 69 for releasably fastening the rack top 54 to the rack frame. The weight of the rack will ordinarily be suflicient to hold the feet 55 of the top 54 in firm engagement with the bars during their reciprocation, but if desired, additional means may be provided for latching the feet 55 to said bars. In order to permit the piston rod 52 to remain in engagement with the top 54 while the rack is reciprocated the lower end of the piston rod is pivotally connected to said rack top by the transverse swivel pin 53 engaged by a pair of straps 59 secured to the rack top.

The dyeing sticks 74, which are made of an acid resistant metal, may be of any suitable form, preferably such as those illustrated in my above mentioned application. The stick, in the form illustrated in Fig. 9, comprises a relatively long straight shank l5 and an arcuately bent head 78. Referring to Figs, 3 and 6, it will be observed that the dyeing sticks 14, when mounted in the pair of slots l0 and 72 at each end of the rack, are disposed adjacent each other in two vertical rows, the shanks of the sticks in one row being laterally and vertically staggered or offset with relation to the shanks of the sticks of the other row. Accordingly, in associating the skeins to be dyed, the portions of the skeins in engagement with the sticks of one row are ofiset in relation, vertically and horizontally, to the similar skein portions carried by the sticks of the other row thereby avoiding crowding of the material of the skeins, which might otherwise occur when all of the shanks of the sticks at one end of the rack are in vertical alignment.

In associating the skeins to be dyed with the rack, the unheaded ends of a pair of sticksare passed through the loops of a series of skeins and the ends of the sticks then inserted in the inner slots 72 at each end of the rack and allowed to move down .to the lower ends of the slots. The

lowermost sticks of each pair are supported in spaced relation to the bottom 60 of the rack by screws 80. Similarly, skeins on a pair'of sticks are positioned the outer slots'ln at each end of the rack and are positioned adjacent the bottom of said slots being supported by screws 82 which, however, are spaced above the screws 80' for obtaining: a vertically offset relation between the sticks of the pairs of rows at each end of the rack. Also, for-this purpose, the lower part of the head of the lowermost stick in the inner slot I2- is shorter than the corresponding part of the other sticks. Another pair of sticks is similarly associated with additional series of skeins inserted in the inner slots 12 and allowed to move down into contact with the first mentioned sticks, but this second pair of sticks will extend in a direction opposite that of the first inserted sticks sothat the unheaded ends of one pair of sticks wil l abut against the headed ends of the other pair of sticks. This arrangement is continued in assembling all of the sticks with the racks, the heads 18 serving to space the sticks apart so that the skein, supported at different levels by the sticks hang clear of each other.

Since the skeins extend lengthwise of the rack in the direction of reciprocation of the rack, movement of the rack within the dye liquid willcause the sticks to exert a pull upon the leading ends of the skeins. This causes the loosely suspended skeins to straighten out, allowing the-trailing ends of the skeins to drift away from their sticks as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 10, and permitting access of the dye liquor to the underside of the skein that normally engage the sticks. The effect of the rapid motion cam for reciproeating the rack is to improve this action and cause a better separation of the trailing end of the skein from the corresponding stick, while the dwell of the rack at the end of its stroke improves the penetration of the material of the skein with less reciprocations per interval of time. When the rack reverses its movement, the pull upon the skein is in the opposite direction and what was formerly the leading end now becomes the trailing end of the skein which later floats clear of the skein as shown in Fig. 11. This method of dyeing precludes the formation of discolored areas upon the material being dyed, which would otherwise occur if the material of the skeins are not efiectively moved out of engagement with the sticks at each end of the stroke of the rack. As previously indicated, the improved penetration of the material by the dye liquid is contributed to by the arrangement of the sticks at each end of the rack in such manner as to prevent crowding or compressing of the material against the stick and thereby permitting the material freedom of movement away from the sticks. It will be observed that in the case of the apparatus disclosed in my earlier application, the rack construction and the relation thereof to the tank is such that the: movement of the rack exerts a pumping action on the dye liquid and forces the latter to flow under pressure substantially entirely through the rack between the sides of the latter and above its bottom thus forcing the dyeing liquid under pressure through the skeins of material on the rack. The effect of this pumping action is improved co-nsiderably by the particular reciprocating motion imparted to the rack by the rapid positive motion cam disclosed herein. Accordingly, I prefer to use said rack-moving means in conjunction with the dyeing apparatus of the rack-pump type, but it will be understood that other types: of dyeing apparatus employing reciprocating racks may have the features of the present invention embodied therein thereby to obtain comparatively improved results in the operation of such apparatus.

While I have shown and described thepreferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the latter is capable of other embodiments and that in. the apparatus herein shown and described as; the. preferred embodiment, certain changes in the construction and arrangement of parts. may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, I do. not wish to be limited precisely to the present construction, except as may be required by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim: and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, the combination with a dyeing rack mounted in said tub for movement in opposite directions therein, of means operatively connected to said rack for moving the latter alternately in said opposite directions, said moving means including means to automatically interrupt the motion of said rack to provide a period of dwell thereof for an appreciable length of time between the end of movement of the rack in one direction and the start of movement of the rack in the opposite direction.

2. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, the combination with a dyeing rack mounted in said tub for movement in opposite directions therein, of means operatively connected to said rack for moving the latter alternately in said opposite directions, said moving means being effective to advance the rack rapidly with accelerated and retarded motion in both directions and including means to automatically interrupt the motion of the rack to provide a period of dwell thereof for an appreciable length of time between the end of the movement of the rack in one direction and the start of movement of the rack in the opposite direction, the period of dwell being substantially longer than would normally be necessary to reverse the motion of the rack.

3. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, a dyeing rack mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of the tub, and means for reciprocating said rack including rotary cam means to automatically interrupt the motion of the rack to provide a period of dwell thereof for an appreciable length of time between the end of movement of the rack in one direction and the start of movement of the rack in the opposite direction.

4. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, a dyeing rack mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of the tub, and means for reciprocating said rack including a rapid motion cam for moving said rack with uniformly accelerated and retarded motion in two directions and with an appreciable dwell of the rack between successive movements thereof in opposite directions.

5. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, a rack mounted for reciprocation in said tub, said rack comprising an open frame, a plurality of dyeing sticks removably associated with said frame at both ends thereof and mounted in horizontal position transversely of the direction of rack movement, and means including a plurality of spaced pairs of vertically extending retaining members at each end of the frame for positioning the sticks in vertical and horizontal spaced relation at each end of the frame, said retaining members comprising corner angle members each provided with inwardly extending spaced vertical plates.

6. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub for the dye liquid, a rack mounted for reciprocation in said tub, said rack comprising an open frame, a plurality of dyeing sticks removably associated with said frame at both ends thereof and mounted in horizontal position transversely of the direction of rack movement, and means including a plurality of pairs of vertical slots for slidably receiving said sticks and for positioning them in vertical and horizontal spaced relation at each end of the frame, said means comprising corner angle members provided with inwardly extending spaced vertical plates defining said slots.

'7. In dyeing apparatus comprising a tub adapted to contain dyeing liquid, the combination with a dyeing rack mounted in said tub for movement in opposite directions therein, of rotary cam means for moving said rack alternately in said opposite directions with appreciable dwell of said rack between the end of its movement in one direction and the start of its movement in the opposite direction, said period of dwell being equal to about one fourth of the time of one revolution of said rotary cam means.

8. Dyeing apparatus comprising a dyeing tub adapted to contain dyeing liquid, a dyeing rack movably mounted in said tub, said dyeing rack constructed and arranged tosupport a plurality of skeins of the material to be dyed, said rack having its sides and bottom positioned closely adjacent the sides and bottom, respectively, of said tub so that only a space sufiicient for clearance to permit movement of the rack in the tub is provided at said sides and bottom, whereby movement of the rack lengthwise of said tub exerts a pumping action on said dye liquid and forces the latter to flow under pressure substantially entirely through the rack between the sides of the rack and above the bottom thereof, thus forcing the dyeing liquid under pressure through the skeins of material on the rack, and means for moving said rack lengthwise of said tub alternately in opposite directions with appreciable dwell of said rack between the end of its movement in one direction and the start of its movement in the opposite direction.

9. Dyeing apparatus comprising a dyeing tub adapted to contain dyeing liquid, at dyeing rack movably mounted in said tub, said dyeing rack constructed and arranged to support a plurality of skeins of the material to be dyed, said rack having its sides and bottom positioned closely adjacent the sides and bottom, respectively, of said tub so that only a space sufiicient for clearance to permit movement of the rack in the tub is provided at said sides and bottom, whereby movement of the rack lengthwise of said tub exerts a pumping action on said dye liquid and forces the latter to flow under pressure substantially entirely through the rack between the sides of the rack and above the bottom thereof, thus forcing the dyeing liquid under pressure through the skeins of material on the rack, and means for moving said rack lengthwise of said tub alternately in opposite directions, said moving means being effective to advance the rack rapidly with accelerated and retarded motion in both directions and including means to automatically interrupt the motion of the rack for an appreciable length of time between the end of the movement of the rack in one direction and the start of movement of the rack in the opposite direction.

BERTRAM J. GOLDSMITH. 

